Question

christianity and the loss of traditional values
the decline of rome dovetailed with the spread of christianity, and some have argued that the rise of a new faith helped contribute to the empires fall. the edict of milan legalized christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. these decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they may have also eroded the traditional roman values system. christianity displaced the polytheistic roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status, and also shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto a sole deity. meanwhile, popes and other church leaders took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance. the 18th - century historian edward gibbon was the most famous proponent of this theory, but his take has since been widely criticized. while the spread of christianity may have played a small role in curbing roman civic virtue, most scholars now argue that its influence paled in comparison to military, economic and administrative factors.
rome becomes christian
in 313 ce, the emperor constantine issued the edict of milan, which granted christianity—as well as most other religions—legal status. while this was an important development in the history of christianity, it was not a total replacement of traditional roman beliefs with christianity.
in 325, constantine called the council of nicaea, which was a gathering of christian leaders to determine the formal—or orthodox—beliefs of christianity. the result of this council was the nicene creed, which laid out the agreed upon beliefs of the council.
in 380 ce, the emperor theodosius issued the edict of thessalonica, which made christianity, specifically nicene christianity, the official religion of the roman empire. most other christian sects were deemed heretical, lost their legal status, and had their properties confiscated by the roman state.
stop and consider: how did the roman empire shape early christianity?
christianity spread though the roman empire and eventually it received legal status in 313 ce. this was an important development because it meant that christians could openly practice their religion. in 325 ce, the council of nicaea gave christianity greater influence because the roman emperor now formally recognized the religion and worked to establish a clear set of beliefs and practices. in 380 ce, christianity gained even more influence when it became the official religion of the roman empire. this had the effect of standardizing christian belief and practice even more. the connection between christianity and the roman government also meant that christianity reflected certain roman cultural practices and ideas.

Explanation:

The text discusses the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire, its legal - ization and becoming the state religion, and how it may have affected traditional Roman values and governance. It also explores how the Roman Empire influenced the development of early Christianity through key events like the Edict of Milan, Council of Nicaea, and Edict of Thessalonica.

Answer:

The Roman Empire influenced early Christianity by first legalizing it in 313 CE with the Edict of Milan, which allowed open practice. Then, in 325 CE, the Council of Nicaea formalized Christian beliefs with the Nicene Creed under Roman imperial influence. Finally, in 380 CE, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica, standardizing Christian belief and practice.